Title: This Island Earth
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: gen
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG
Table: doctorwho_100
Prompt: 53, Earth
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

***

The Doctor leaned against the console of the Tardis, propping his chin in his hands and looking at the viewscreen. He couldn't help but smile at the image there, thinking of all the memories and experiences that were wrapped up in it.

There was something about Earth that had always fascinated him; it was a planet that he'd always felt a strange kind of kinship with. Why that was, he couldn't really say; maybe it was because he felt so at home there at times.

He grimaced at the thought, pushing himself away from the console. Well, maybe he shouldn't go that far. Earth would never completely feel like home to him.

But still, it was a place that he couldn't help having a fondness for. So many who he cared about were there, and he'd discovered so much about it that he liked. There were still so many events and places in its long history that he wanted to visit, too.

It was a planet of endless interest to him; and considering that the rest of his race was extremely xenophobic, he'd never found out that much about it until he'd become a Time Lord and been able to go there and experience it for himself.

It was odd that the rest of his people should avoid Earth in the way they did, since they could pass so easily for humans, he mused. And it was a shame, too. Gallifreyans could probably have become quite friendly with human beings, if they'd given themselves a chance.

Strange that this was the place he felt he belonged now, more than any other in the galaxy. The planet that he felt the strongest pull towards, of all the others in the universe.

Also a bit strange how humans accepted the reality of space travel, but seemed to think that they were the most advanced planet out there. Why couldn't they accept that they were just infants when it came to all of those possibilities?

He had to smile at that thought. Because they had a bit of a superiority complex, he told himself, shaking his head. They somehow believed that they were the best bit of intelligence in the galaxy, even when that idea was proven wrong.

They seemed to think that their little island in the universe was the best place to be -- and there were times when the Doctor almost felt the same way.

After all, Earth had been good to him, in a lot of ways. It had given him some of his companions -- and some of the closest friends he'd ever had. Some of those friends were still in his life, and he hoped that they'd be there for a long time to come.

Earth had also given him some marvelous experiences, times that he wanted to hold in his memory and cherish for the rest of his life. He could go back over those times and be thankful for them, when he was alone and feeling down.

Fortunately, that hadn't been happening too much lately -- well, at least the feeling down part. He'd managed to keep himself in good spirits, even though he'd been alone. Sometimes, it was best for him to be that way, to sort out his own emotional state.

Maybe it was becoming time to look for another companion. He glanced at the viewscreen again, at the planet sitting there, just waiting for him to arrive. That was undoubtedly where the next person who would become a friend and confidante would come from.

All right, maybe not a confidante in many ways. It would take a great deal of trust for him to go that far with anyone again in the near future.

He'd learned all too well the folly of becoming too close to his companions. Though he'd never taken any as a lover -- except the one man who still held a piece of his hearts -- he'd let many of them become too close in the past. Never again.

That was just one of his many weaknesses, he thought to himself, leaning against the console and crossing his arms over his chest. He had a tendency to be a bit too trusting too quickly, and he had to try to curb that.

Even though he had to trust his companions -- and he did -- he couldn't let them see what was in his hearts. That was the first step on the road to them starting to become too attached to him in a way that he didn't want to deal with.

The annoying thing was that it seemed to happen every time he brought someone into his life, only intending for them to be a friend. They always got to the point where they wanted much more than that, more than he would ever be ready to give them.

Humans seemed to have more of a problem with that than any other race -- they always wanted to get too close, too soon, and things became far too complicated.

It was something he always tried to avoid now, though it seemed to get harder as time went by. He frowned, wishing that there was some way to just know if he would have that problem before he chose a particular companion.

But there wasn't, and he'd just have to live with that. He turned his attention towards the viewscreen again as the Earth loomed larger in it; there was something so vital and alive about that planet, even just looking at it from out here in space.

Even though humans weren't as technologically advanced as many other species, he loved their curiosity about things like that. He loved how they were so eager to learn, how they seemed to soak up knowledge like a sponge.

And, truth be told, he loved how they were always willing to express a contrary point of view, just so he could argue his points with them. He'd always liked a good debate.

There was so much about humans -- and the planet they inhabited -- that he'd never tire of. It was a place that he almost felt he could call his second home, even though he knew that he would never be fully accepted there.

How could he be? He'd always have to hide who he really was. He was an alien, something that was completely foreign to most humans. Yes, they might accept him in some ways, but they would always be a bit uneasy around him, knowing that he wasn't like that.

Ah, the fundamental failing of humans, their greatest drawback. Their tendency to look at anything different as being somehow wrong, because it didn't quite "fit in" with their ideas. It was one of the few things he heartily disliked about them.

But really, there wasn't much about humans that he didn't like. All in all, they were ones of his favorite races -- one that he enjoyed spending time with, at least the more intelligent of the lot. And he'd never get tired of discovering more about them.

Earth seemed to be beckoning to him to come back to the planet, to visit his friends, to spend a bit of time there and let himself relax for a while.

That would certainly be pleasant, he reflected -- much more so than sitting here in the Tardis and looking down on the planet, starting to feel somewhat lonely because he was here alone and they were all down there, together, living their lives.

Yes, it was time for him to go back to Earth. He could visit Torchwood, see some of his friends -- maybe even go back to a different time, be a witness to some historical happenings that he'd always wanted to see but had never taken the time to view before now.

And maybe, if he was lucky, he might happen to run into the right person to take on as a new companion. Smiling at the idea, he turned back to the console of his ship, pressing a few buttons and feeling the familiar time and space displacement as they set out on their way.

***